We’re in the throes of a major energy crisis that some experts worry could exceed even the oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s. Economies around the world are grappling with soaring energy prices and seeking solutions. But even as countries like Germany and the Netherlands look to lift the cap on coal-fired plan production, experts say replacing fossil fuels is not the best path to greater energy security and sustainability.
On a panel at Davos earlier this year, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency said the world must also put efforts into the energy transition, making investments in alternative energy for the long term.
“In my view, the biggest part of the response comes from putting emphasis on lean energy, renewables, energy efficiency and, in the countries where they have nuclear capacity, increasing nuclear production there,” Birol said. We don’t need to choose between an energy crisis and a climate crisis – we can solve both of them with the right investment.”
In recent years, ambitious alternative energy projects from around the world have turned to Dassault Systèmes and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to meet their design, management and operational needs.
- In southwest China, Changjiang Design Group (CDG) implemented the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to design and operate the Wudongde Hydropower Station damn, one of the tallest and most technologically advanced mega hydropower stations in the world.
- Based in the south of France, the ITER project (short for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a global initiative that used the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to design and manage the world’s largest fusion device meant to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power as a large-scale energy source.
- In the North Sea is Hornsea Two, a windfarm that will generate enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes. Its offshore substation and reactive compensation station were both designed by Danish consulting and engineering firm ISC using the 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform.
With the global energy crisis on everyone’s mind, let’s revisit each of these stories.
CDG
At 270-meters high, the Wudongde Hydropower Station is one of the tallest and technologically advanced mega hydropower stations in the world. With real-time temperature monitoring, low-heat cement and an intelligent water flow system, it’s also one of the smartest.
Everything about this hydropower station was built from the ground up to be smart … starting with CDG’s engineering survey and design processes, which were all handled using the power of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
ITER
Containing a nuclear fusion reaction is like trying to keep the sun in a box. And that’s exactly what the ITER project is trying to do. A collaboration among 35 nations, ITER is working to build the largest and most advanced tokamak – a giant, donut-shaped electromagnet – to prove that fusion power can be generated at a commercial scale. It is one of the most complex engineering endeavors in history, with thousands of people, constructing millions of components around the globe and shipping them to France, where they’re assembling the giant reactor.
ITER needed an industry-leading platform to orchestrate this ambitious project. They found it in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
ISC
Hornsea Two might be the world’s largest windfarm, but it’s far from ISC’s first. The Danish consulting and engineering firm was the developer of the first-ever offshore substation in 2003 and is a leading expert in the sector.
A long-time CATIA user, ISC adopted the 3DEXPERIENCE platform out of a desire to centralize all of its data and future-proof its business. Today, ISC can retrieve more than 30 years’ worth of design work via the platform. With all of its projects organized on the platform, ISC’s engineers can quickly pull together whatever information they need.
